Kapetaniana village

Kapetaniana village

This village is situated at an altitude of 750 m above sea-level, 11 km away from Asimi. It is not mentioned in any of the Venetian censi, though its Byzantine church dates back to the 15th century.

There is a Minoan peak sanctuary close to the summit of the Kofinas mountain, in a place known as Metzolati. Many finds help to identify this location as a former shrine: several animal and human clay figurines and bronze votive objects were found in nearby caves.

Nowadays the church of the Holy Cross has replaced the ancient sanctuary, but the panoramic view remains the same. The church has its feast day on September 14th. On the other hand, the village celebrates the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on August 15th, when a typical Cretan feast takes place every year.

There is a series of beautiful beaches, like that of Aghios Ioannis and others, along the coast down from Kapetaniana towards Koudouma, but they are very difficult to reach and only the very fit should undertake such a walk. The difficulty of access explains why this wonderful coast has retained its original beauty and wilderness.